The Pretoria Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a Mamelodi East, a 61-year-old former employee of the Department of Public Service and Administration and a deacon of a Gauteng-based Church, to life imprisonment for the rape of his ten-year-old niece.

National Prosecuting Authority Regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm, and his name will be added to the National Register for Sexual Offenders.

In the matter, the court heard that the victim was staying with her aunt, who was married to the accused.

“On November 17 in 2017 the victim and the man were moving some of their belongings to their new residence in Mamelodi East, Tsakane Section, on arrival the man raped his niece and instructed her not to report the incident, claiming they were simply “playing a game,” said Mahanjana.

Mahanjana said the harrowing truth came to light a year later when the victim’s aunt learned of the assault and reported it to the police on November 18, 2018.

Following investigations, the suspect was arrested on February 2, 2019.

“In court, he pleaded not guilty to the charge, suggesting that his wife had conspired against him to remove him from the family. However, State Prosecutor Advocate Annelizer Stiles called several witnesses to the stand, including the victim, a medical professional, and the accused’s wife, all of whom provided compelling evidence demonstrating the man’s guilt.”

During the sentencing proceedings, the man requested that the court consider imposing a sentence of correctional supervision. The state opposed this, arguing that life imprisonment was warranted due to the grievous nature of the crime.

“It was highlighted that the accused betrayed the trust of a defenceless child who viewed him as a father figure and took advantage of his position of power.”

“Advocate Stiles submitted a Victim Impact Report (VIR) facilitated by social workers from the Department of Social Development and the report revealed that the victim experienced significant adverse effects on her academic performance and is now suffering from depression and emotional trauma resulting from the rape,” mentioned Mahanjana.

Mahanjana said the wife of the accused also noted in her VIR that the incident led to the breakdown of her marriage and had a toxic effect on the family dynamics, including alienation from her older children who blamed her for their father’s arrest.

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